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The
Document Database for Managing All Your Unstructured Data
What is
Alchemy®?
Virtually any
industry, any department in your enterprise, and any business application can
benefit from the power of Alchemy.
You Can:
- Manage all your
unstructured data in a single repository.
- Increase knowledge
worker productivity by eliminating paper and microfilm.
- Use CD or DVD for
archive or distribution.
Alchemy creates open
document databases to manage the diversity of document and data formats,
providing a variety of options for data capture, indexing, storage and archival
management. Alchemy also provides a powerful search engine and client software
for viewing, compiling, and routing of strategic information throughout an
enterprise. Documents are maintained in their original file formats that may
include scanned documents, ERM/COLD files, CAD files, web pages, text documents,
e-mail and more.
The software is easy to
install and use, requiring no database management skills, no programming, and no
client-server expertise. The system is Windows and web compatible. Alchemy also
has powerful programmable interfaces for integration with other business
applications.
With an Alchemy solution,
you can integrate and organize hundreds of different information formats
including computer reports, electronic documents and paper-based records; and
provide open access to them for everyone in your business via Internet
technologies, LAN/WAN, Intranet or portable media such as CD and DVD.
What makes Alchemy
the best choice?
- Worldwide
leader: installed in over 5,000 corporate and government installations
in more than 40 countries. Leader in document archival and report
distribution applications.
- Rapid application
deployment: no other document management system can be deployed as fast
and easy as Alchemy.
- Flexible
solutions: can be installed as a solution for small offices or company
departments, or integrated into an enterprise business application.
- Diversity of file
formats supported in a single repository: uniquely combines TIFF, COLD,
Office files, PDF, HTML and many popular PC file formats into one electronic
filing system.
Alchemy consists of two main
programs: Build and Search. Optional modules add special features such as
scanning and OCR, COLD/COM file import, Web browser access, AutoCAD support, and
task automation.
Alchemy Build is used
by those responsible for creating and contributing to document databases. It
includes a very powerful engine for full-text, document field, folder field and
annotation text indexing. Alchemy Build can archive an entire document database
(documents, data, full-text index, search program and viewers) to any storage
media (CD, DVD, RAID etc). Alchemy remains the industry leader in this and is
popular in all industries that are required to archive electronic
documents.
Alchemy databases are
compliant with the Open Database Connectivity (ODBC) industry standard and can
be accessed using SQL tools and applications. Unlike other client/server
database or document management systems, Alchemy requires no database management
skills, no programming, and no client/server expertise to operate.
Alchemy Search is
the full-featured Windows client used for read-only access to the document
databases created with Alchemy Build. Each database can have one to hundreds of
simultaneous users. Access to databases means the end user can query by
full-text or data fields, view a hit list, view the contents of a document or
data record, and print, fax, or email the document. Accessing databases using a
Web browser is simple, through the optional Alchemy Web
Server.
Unlike similar sophisticated
and powerful search engines and document managers, the Alchemy user interface is
simple to learn and use. Customers range from microfilm researchers to
CEOs.
Alchemy Gold
Feature Overview
- 32-bit software
compatible with Windows 95/98, Windows 2000 and Windows NT.
- Includes the document
database manager developed by IMR specifically to index and store object files
and data together. Files are stored in their native format. Each database can
easily scale to handle millions of files and records and still maintain
exceptional query and retrieval performance. No other database is required to
operate Alchemy.
- ODBC compliant database
for SQL access to Alchemy indexes and documents.
- Scalable multiple
database architecture enables utilization of separate databases.
- Industry standard COM and
ActiveX APIs for customization and integration (requires API Toolkit license).
- High-performance
full-text indexer with industry-leading compression supports most text file
formats and is unsurpassed for ERM/COLD indexing. An amazingly small 3-5%
index overhead is typical
- Includes over many
popular PC file filters and viewers, including TIFF, Office 97/2000 and HTML.
PDF files are supported with a user-supplied copy of Acrobat.
- Annotate image files with
sticky notes, stamps and redaction of sensitive data
- Protect documents and
data with security at the database, folder or document level.
- Database template design:
fields, profile and folder templates, indexing methods, lookup tables, stop
words.
- Virtual storage feature
stores data on RAID, any mapped hard disk drive, CD-R, CD-RW, ISO image,
CD/DVD duplicators, MO or other logical storage devices.
- Intelligent on-the-fly
data compression reduces storage cost.
- CD-SPAN recording and
retrieval capability enables automated multi-CD search.
- Read-only Alchemy Search
client for LAN/WAN or CD/DVD access provides basic document management and
prevents the user from deleting or modifying the documents or data. Flexible
installation: runs direct from an archive disc, a network drive or on a
client.
- Many search options:
Boolean, adjacency, fuzzy, combined full text and data field, date range,
filename, numerics, relevancy ranking, search list refinement. Extremely fast
query results.
- Output options: advanced
printing functions, send to fax, retrieve to hard disk, send to e-mail, export
data to ASCII delimited file.
- Personalized user
interface: each user can set viewing and query preferences.
- Forms overlay designer
for report files.
How
Alchemy Works
The Alchemy process is very simple. First-time users are up and running
in little time.
- Easy. Add files to
the database using drag-and-drop from Explorer (scanned images using the Scan2
option, computer reports using the DataGrabber
option). This step can now be
shared by several workstations.
- Powerful.
Automatically index documents and data by content or attributes.
- Searchable. Query
the database by full-text, data fields and annotations. One search covers it
all. Search across multiple databases with one single query.
- Accessible. Access
documents over a LAN or WAN, from a stand alone PC, a CD or DVD. View
documents, related data and OCR text together. Print, FAX, e-mail or retrieve
the documents and data. Clients can optionally be configured to annotate
images, check in new files or enter new data.
The Alchemy
Database Architecture
IMR developed a unique hierarchical object database structure that is at
the heart of Alchemy, which is now on its 6th generation and is
field-proven in thousands of business applications. Alchemy's large installed
base makes this database architecture one of the most widely used databases for
imaging, COLD and document management applications. And experience in real world
applications continually proves that compared to a relational database
application, the Alchemy architecture is faster, more efficient with smaller
overhead, and is easier to maintain.
Unlike other database used
in imaging and COLD applications, Alchemy has highly developed end user
interfaces that are completely tuned for one fundamental application: managing
documents and data. As a result, Alchemy does not require any database
administrator training. Typical users are deploying their first Alchemy database
the same day as installation.
Alchemy's unique
architecture allows the database index files, documents and the Search program
to be located anywhere on a network, or packaged all together on an archival
disc. This unusual flexibility enables the end user to configure an Alchemy
system to meet his/her specific needs, not the other way around. While the
database has many unique features and is virtually maintenance-free, it is also
open to other applications through the ODBC driver interface.
System Requirements
- Windows 95, Windows 98,
Windows NT 4.0, Windows 2000
- RAM requirements for
95/98: 32 MB minimum, 64 MB recommended, 96-128 MB optimal
- RAM requirements for
NT/2000: 64 MB RAM minimum, 128 MB recommended
- Pentium processor
- 40 MB hard disk space for
Build installation
- 22 MB hard disk space for
full Search installation
- Free temp space for
database building: should be at least twice the size of the database buffer
setting.
- Supported CD writer or
other disk drive
- SCSI adapter recommended
by drive vendor
- For PDF indexing: NT
Workstation with 64 MB RAM highly recommended
- Alchemy Search: we
recommend the same amount of RAM for PCs using Alchemy Search. Viewing large
files (i.e. multipage TIFF, PDFs) may require the use of temporary hard disk
space. A good rule of thumb is to reserve free disk space at least twice as
large as the largest file in the database that will be opened for viewing. For
example, if the largest file is 10 MB, keep at least 20 MB free on the hard
disk.
Further
Information
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